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Odinic Rite
The Odinic Rite (OR) is a pagan religion devoted to the Scandinavian Gods Influenced by Else Christensen's Odinist Fellowship, the Odinic Rite was founded in 1973 in England under the name "Committee for the Restoration of the Odinic Rite / Odinist Committee". In 1980 the organisation changed its name to "The Odinic Rite" after it was believed that it had gained enough significant interest in the restoration of the Odinic faith. The OR has chapters in France (ORF), Germany (ORD, 1995) http://odinic-rite.de/, http://web.archive.org/20080503141800/www.geocities.com/osred/ and North America (ORV, 1997) and individual members spread over many other countries. It has legal status in the United Kingdom, Australia and various states in the United States. Odinic Rite Australia (ORA) is not a part of, affiliated to or endorsed by the original Odinic Rite. The basic unit of the Odinic Rite is the "Hearth", a group of adherents who gather to perform ceremonies known as Blóts or Blotar, at which they honor their deities and their ancestors. However, a large proportion of the members are lone practitioners. The motto or watch-words of the Odinic Rite are "Faith, Folk & Family". Odinic Rite is a folkish Asatru society. The main OR website as well as the website of the German chapter has a disclaimer to the effect that they are unpolitical. "Professed members" have sworn an oath of fealty to the gods and to the Odinic Rite society. They gain the right to wear a "torc", a small crescent-shaped shield made by themselves prior to profession, said to derive from a historical British military decoration (not to be confused with the Celtic "torque"). Members of the Odinic Rite are encouraged to live their lives according to the "Nine Noble Virtues" and the "Nine Charges" which are detailed below. Nine Noble Virtues The Nine Noble Virtues are the ethical code gleaned from various sources including the Poetic Edda (particularly the Hávamál), the Icelandic Sagas and Germanic folklore they were codified by the Odinic Rite in the 1970's. The virtues are: #Courage #Truth #Honour #Fidelity #Discipline #Hospitality #Self Reliance #Industriousness #Perseverance Nine Charges The Nine Charges are, like the Nine Noble Virtues, codified by the Odinic Rite in the 1970's. The charges are: #To maintain candour and fidelity in love and devotion to the tried friend: though he strike me I will do him no scathe. #Never to make wrongsome oath: for great and grim is the reward for the breaking of plighted troth. #To deal not hardly with the humble and the lowly. #To remember the respect that is due to great age. #To suffer no evil to go unremedied and to fight against the enemies of Faith, Folk and Family: my foes I will fight in the field, nor will I stay to be burnt in my house. #To succour the friendless but to put no faith in the pledged word of a stranger people. #If I hear the fool's word of a drunken man I will strive not: for many a grief and the very death groweth from out such things. #To give kind heed to dead men: straw dead, sea dead or sword dead. #To abide by the enactments of lawful authority and to bear with courage the decrees of the Norns. See also *Odinism *Book of Blotar *Heimgest *Odin Brotherhood *Odinist Deities and Terms External links * Odinic Rite website **German chapter **Australian chapter *Odinic Rite Questions and Answers *Odin Brotherhood Uk Category:Religion Category:Asatru/Odinism